• Posted on Apr 2, 2022

With the rise of smartphones, smart TVs, and more, new demands for a reliable internet network have multiplied. From TV to online gaming or household security, your various devices use up bandwidth constantly. How do you know you’re getting enough bandwidth for your home or business?

eNetwork Supply details steps to ensure you get adequate bandwidth for your needs.

Why Is Meeting Bandwidth Requirements So Critical

Bandwidth allows a swift data transfer between your devices and the internet. As more homes and businesses get more internet-connected devices, their bandwidth requirements also increase. Depending on your internet service plan, you may be getting less bandwidth than you need to run your technology.

Without enough bandwidth, you get slow internet speeds, and your devices can’t appropriately interact with other networks. Additionally, downloads and uploads may fail with low bandwidth levels. Average internet users need 50% more bandwidth each year.

Demands for upload and download speeds are constantly increasing. Gaming systems, cloud file storage solutions, and security systems need reliable bandwidth to work smoothly and communicate with other networks successfully.

Typical bandwidth requirements include:

  • Casual online computer gaming requires up to 6Mbps for download speeds and 1Mbps for uploads, while the Playstation 5 requires download speeds of 25Mbps or higher.
  • For 4K UHD video streaming, you’ll need at least 25Mbps.
  • Video calling requires over 8Mbps for downloads and 1.5Mbps for uploads.
  • Cloud storage uploads require around 20% of your download bandwidth.

Steps To Ensuring You Have Adequate Bandwidth

Ensuring you have enough bandwidth for your devices is relatively easy. Following these steps will help you determine whether you have enough bandwidth and how to solve inadequacies.

1. Look For Signs You Need More Bandwidth

You’ll see some apparent signs when you’re hitting your bandwidth limit. Symptoms include:

  • Lag while gaming
  • Frequent buffering during video conferences and streaming TV
  • Backups and downloads fail or go slowly

If you’ve added more devices to your home or plan to soon, you’ll need more bandwidth to accommodate the growing demand. Your internet service provider may be able to provide recommendations based on their current technology.

2. Determine the Source of the Problem

Is your internet service provider throttling your speeds, or do you have too many devices on the same home network? Do you experience slower speeds after a particular time of the day, or is your experience consistent? How long has it been since you updated your network hardware?

Asking yourself these questions will help you determine the possible cause of the issue. Consistent problems may be a sign that you need to upgrade your broadband equipment or try other wireless solutions.

3. Know How Much Speed You Need

Knowing how much bandwidth you need for each device will help you establish whether you’re getting enough bandwidth. PC and console gaming, video conferencing, and TV streaming are some of the most demanding activities requiring bandwidth.

Count up the number of devices your household uses regularly. From there, you can calculate the total amount of bandwidth each device uses. Some network providers can inform you of each device’s usage on your network.

4. Decrease Bandwidth Use

If you’re experiencing slow loading times and poor performance across your devices, you can do a few things before contacting wireless solutions providers. Multiple people using the internet simultaneously can decrease speeds significantly. By closing unused apps and reducing internet usage crossover, more bandwidth will be available for each activity.

5. Upgrade Your Internet Service

If disabling network connections for specific devices or reducing simultaneous internet usage doesn’t work, you may need better equipment or an upgraded plan. Wireless equipment providers can replace your modem and router, or you can buy a router yourself.

To get the best signal, you should keep your router in an open, central area. You can purchase other Broadband solutions such as signal boosters to extend your WiFi signal to the furthest corners of your property.

6. Rely on WiFi or 4G

Cellular networks are just as powerful as in-home Broadband networks. You should use your WiFi network or connect to your cellular network’s 4G connection. 4G provides internet speeds up to 30 times faster than 3G speeds.

Open mobile apps use bandwidth even when you’re not using them. Closing out all apps you’re not using will help save bandwidth and increase speed for other network users.

7. Optimize Website Media

Businesses struggling with bandwidth requirements could lose customers. Your business’s bandwidth contributes to your website’s loading times and overall performance. No one wants to wait for pictures and content to load. Choosing a website host that supports high bandwidths allows you to get excellent performance without sacrificing quality.

Not all website hosts support large bandwidth amounts. Finding one for your company will help accommodate high levels of traffic and website assets as your business grows.

8. Monitor Your Business’s Network

As your business gets more telecom equipment and network routers, your network can face many unexpected problems. Broadband solutions providers can offer helpful information on diagnosing problems and locating their source without getting new hardware.

By monitoring your business’s network and devices, you can keep your company running smoothly and improve network capacity without replacing your equipment. You’ll save more money and get faster speeds.

Upgrade Your Network Equipment With eNetwork Supply

By following the above steps, you can significantly improve your network speeds and ensure you’re getting enough bandwidth for your devices. eNetwork Supply offers high-quality, refurbished telecom and network equipment for homes and businesses.

Whether you need a new router or a commercial satellite receiver, we have the products and expertise to help you get precisely what you need. Choose from our vast inventory of internet equipment and top network and communications brands.

Don’t resign yourself to slow network speeds and poor device performance. Upgrade your network equipment with help from the experts at eNetwork Supply in Skokie, IL. For more information on meeting your bandwidth requirements with our equipment, call us at 312-283-5983 today.